Toy vehicle



Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

TOY VEHICLE.

Application mea AAugust 26,."1922".r serial No. 584,469.

Be it known that I'THoMAs BowDnN, a citizen of the United States residing at Forest City,in the county of usquehanna `and State of` Pennsylvania,.have invented certain new and useful Improvements inToy Vehicles, of which the following isl a specification, reference beinghadto the-accompanying drawings. e K p y This invention relates to improvements in toys, and more particularly to improvements inavehicletoy.` ,y .1'

Anrimportant object of the invention islto provide a combined sled and wagon which 1s readily convertibley for useaseither of ,these articles. p n y l i A further object ofL theinvention is to provide a novel and improved draft appliance whereby the sled or wagon may be drawn .when desired, as when'returning afterk coasting down a hill, which draft appliance when released assumes a position beneath the vehicle at a point where it is completely out o-f the way and will not in any manner interfere withthe operation of the device whencoasting. v

A still further object of the invention is to providea novel and improved vwheel struc* turev for combined toys 'of this character, which wheel structure so coacts with the axle upon vwhich it is mounted that while normally itis held securely against accidental removal from the axle, at the same timek it may bereadily removedwith a minimumof laborwhenever it is desired to convert the wagon to a sled. v y

An additional obj ect of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is verysimple ini itsconstruction and arrangement, durable in service, and a generalim- 'provement in the art.

'Ihese and other'objects I attain by the construction and arrangement shown in the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose ofillustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout.

In the drawings Figure g1 is a side elevation of a combined in accordance with my invention; v

[Figure 2 is a'bottom plan view partially kin section ofthe front truck of the vehicle;

, yFigure Sfis'a longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2;v f

lFigure '4 is a fragmentarygsectional viewy showing the manner of Illounti-ngk the wheels".

upon the axles;

Figure 'is a fragmentary of thehub portionof the wheel as mounted upon the axle, the cover plate of the lhub being removed g and Figure is a perspective ,view ofthe bear# ing employed for mounting the draft rope shaft;

yside elevation` Referring now `more partioularlylto the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates `ay body frame having mounted kat the rear end there-k ofa pair of ixed runner frames 11 provided with yany suitable runners 12y and forming the rear construction ofa bob-sled; The sled isyprovided kforwardly with afifth wheel mounting 13, the lower plate of which is sei cured Vtoa dirigible steering sled-16, the side frames of which are similar in construction to the side frames of the rear portion of the vehicle.y Extending transversely of the dirf igible sled yand mounted 1in the sidev frames 17 thereof, is a shaft 18,. and mounted in the frames 11 hereinbefore described isa second shaft. The ends of thesev shafts project be#v yond the outer faces of the 'frames 11` and 17 and have removably mounted thereonsupporting wheels 19,k the lower edges of which, when the wheels arein position upon the shafts, project below 'the lower edgesof the runners 12 and support these runners in spaced vrelation to the ground, permitting the device to be employed as awagon. The dirigible sled 16 has rigidly secured thereto ,afplate 20 having an upstanding. shaft 21 secured theretoandprojecting through the body frame 10. "At its upper 'end thisshaft is secured-to one elementof a universal joint .22, the 'other element of which is secured to the lower end ofthe steeringV shaft 23` mounted in a suitable support 24 extending upwardly fromthe body frame l0 and havingaat` its upper endfa steering wheel 25 by Vmeans of which it may be controlled. From the foregoing itwillfbe seen that the device is capableof use either as a sled or wagon,

:since by the removal ofthe wheels19 the vrunners 12 of the sled portions come intoengagement with the ground. It will likewise 'be obvious that when yemployed either asia sled or wagon, the device maybe-"steered through medium of the steering wheel 25.

In vorder to provide for ready removal of the wheels 19, I provide each yof such wheels upon its hub portion 26, lwhich rotatably rer`po'site""end th'ereof secured to the hub 26.

The'shaft '18 isprovided immediately adjacent its end with a groove 30of sufiicient sizeto receive thelatching member Q7 vat the cove Q8 thereof. lt willbeobvious thatr the latching member when engaged in this cove will effectually prevent the removal of the wheel from the sh'aft and `at the same time itbeing merely r4spring held, the latching member may be readily withdrawn to "permit withdrawal of the wheels when removal ofthe same is desired. The outerface of the s hub portion and thelatching member 27 towi.. f

gether'with its springQQ are enclosed by a hub `cover 31 which protects ythe spring a'gainstthe collection of dirtl and the'action ef he weathenthis Lcover plate being proa. slot A$2 through which theV operating onek portion '33 of the latching mem- QT'eXtends se that it may be readily en gaged to withdraw the latch member and permit the reuwivffil of the wheels.

- lnvehicles ot this type,'particularly when the 'sameare employed as'isleds, a towing rope isdesired and for proper handling of a sled, itis necessary Athatl the'towing rope be secured to points at opposite lsides of the forward end of the lsteering sled so that sidewise slipping of the sled maybe avoided. These towing ropeswhile necessary, are conside'rably in the way when coasting, due to the fact that they must be laidupon the top of thesledand unless firmly heldk or fastened'insome manner, often fall from the sled getting beneath the runners and causing the sled to be extremely diificult to guide and interfering with the progress thereof.

In order to provide a suitable tow rope and `at the same time mount the same so'that the danger-of the rope getting beneath the runners yis entirely eliminated and the rope will be' entirely out of the way during coasting operations, I provide upon the adjacent faces of the sideV frames 17 of the bob-sled 16, bearings 34 which are secured to such adjacent faces and which are provided with a slot opening rearwardly thereof, as indicated at k35, which slot affords access'to the bearing cove 36 of the bearings to permit insertion of" the shaft 37 therein, this shaft bridging the distance between the adjacent faces of the' sideframes 17 and aotin'gf'as a support to prevent movement of these frames toward one'anothen In addition'to the shaft 37, I

provide spaced 4braces and 89, which probob-sled and having securing elements extended therethrough to hold the same in po- V`sition.V The shaft B7 `is journaled in this casing and is accordingly held against movement and engaged in the coves 36fof the bearings 34 when the casing' 40 -is secured in yapplied position. j

To 'the ends vof the's'haft37 adjacentthe bearings are secured drums comprising spaced end plates 43 `through ywhich -th'e shaft 37 extends, and a 'pluralityofspaced bars 44 arranged concentric'ally with the shaft 37 and forming a reel upon whichth'e towingirope may be wound. The towing rope 45`h`a'sfits ends extendingthrou'g'h suitable guides 46 secured to the vforward ends of the 'side'frames 17 oflfthe bob'sled'l and passed between adjacent bars 44 and secured tothe 'shaft 37, each end'bein'g secured-'to one of the drums. By this construction, when the bight 47 offthe towintg'ropeis engagedwith the hand to draw 'the'sled or wagon, the towing 'i rope is i permitted 5to 'eX- ten'd,"i`in`winding from the reels asi'rricient 'distance to permit; draft 'ofthe vehi'cle without danger' of the same coming intoI Contact withthe heels of the person' pulling it. lThe rotation 'of the dru'ms caused by a pull `eX erted upon the' bight portion 47 is imparted to the shaft 37 and from this shaft-through the gearingto the lspring 48 of the" spring motor which is tensioned anldwhichaecordinglywill cause reverse rotation'of the shaft 37 and withdrawal of thertowrope545 to the positionshown in Figures Q and Slimmediately'upon its release. It will befob'vious that in the position shownit will be2 impossible forthe 'rope to become entangled with.

either the runners'or wheels 'off'thewehicle and at the same time the ropewill be readily kaccessible "for yuse `witl'iout thenecesfsity of operating 'any manual releases or lsimilar devices: for holding thel same' in position.

vFrom 'the foregoing'lfit is believed ytofbe obvious that a combineldvehicle constructed iin accordance with my? invention *isarticularljlv well adapted for the purpose for'which it is intended 'for the reason that it vmaybe readily converted from a'wa'jg'onto"'a'sledy with ial minimumf-loss of time and lprovides means whereby it 'may be drawn"whioh vare automatically removed from all'possibility of interference with the vop'erati'o'nofthe device dining 'coast-ing. lt will fiurth'ermore be obvious that the construction h'ereinbef're set forth is capable of some ch-an'ge and vrmodification without "materially departing from? the spirit of lfmyfinv'ention fand 'I aecordingly do not' limitlinyself thereto 'except vide means for attachment for a casing 40, as hereinafter claimed.

I claim v l. In combination with a vehicle embodying a dirigiblesteering element, of a tow rope mounting for the vehicle including a shaft extending transversely of the dirigible element havingits ends rotatably mounted in bearings carried thereby, a spring. motor engaged with said shaft, drums carried by said shaft adjacent the endsthereof, aflexible towing element having its endssecured to said drums, and means for supporting the lexibleelement at spaced points spaced forwardly of said shaft.

2. In combination with a vehicle embodying a dirigible steering element, of a tow rope mounting for the vehicle including a shaft extending transversely of the dirigible element having its ends rotatably mounted in bearings carriedthe'reby, a spring motor engaged with said shaft, drums carried by said shaft adjacent lthe ends thereof, a flexible towing element havings its ends secured yizo to said drums, means for supportingthe ing a casing for said spring motor in which Isaid shaft is j ournaled7 and means for rigidly attaching the casing to such dirigible steering element.

Intestimony whereof I hereunto aiix my signature. v THOMAS BOWDEN. 

